Preview: Hull City vs. Everton - prediction, team news, lineups

Everton return to Premier League action for the first time since news broke of the Friedkin Group’s intention to sell the club as they travel to face Hull City in Sunday’s round-six fixture at MKM Stadium.

The Toffees remain unbeaten this season, and it remains to be seen how news of the current owners’ intentions will affect their performance against the Tigers this weekend.

Match preview

Sergej Jakirovic’s Hull may have failed to win in three league matches before the hiatus — four across all competitions — but the promoted side remain in a healthy position in the early-season standings.

Successive wins over Manchester United and Coventry City without conceding represented an excellent start to life back in the big time after nine years away, only for the Tigers to remain winless since.

Depending on one’s outlook, the glass may be half-full or half-empty, with the club’s winless run pointing to a decline in performances and results; however, their last three matches in isolation suggest there is little cause for concern.

The Tigers held Aston Villa to a creditable draw on home soil, arguably deserved to leave Chelsea with more than a 2-2 draw and outshot Newcastle United 22-12 in their only top-flight defeat before the hiatus.

As such, most supporters at MKM Stadium will be backing their side to return to winning ways on Sunday afternoon, hoping to see their encouraging performances finally rewarded after recent setbacks.

Much of the result may depend on the mood around the Toffees, whose owners announced on Friday that they intend to seek outside investment in the Merseyside club.

It will be interesting to see how David Moyes’s men react to the news, but one suspects it will remain business as usual for the seventh-placed side in the interim.

Aware that they could slip behind Hull — who sit one place and one point below them in the standings — Evertonians will hope to see another strong performance from their team against the promoted side.

They have dominated this fixture since the turn of the millennium, winning six of the last 11 meetings while the Tigers have beaten the Merseyside club just twice.

A seventh success for Everton at the Tigers’ expense could take the Toffees as high as second in the table, although that outcome would require several other results to go their way, with second-placed Arsenal on 12 points, Brighton & Hove Albion on 10 and three clubs level with Moyes’s men on nine.

Hull City Premier League form:

Hull City form (all competitions):

Everton Premier League form:

Everton form (all competitions):

Team News

While Charlie Hughes (groin), Tim Iroegbunam (groin), Matt Targett (ankle), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (muscle) and Hidemasa Morita (calf) are doubtful for Sunday’s match, Hull are dealing with several confirmed absentees: Eliot Matazo is sidelined with a long-term knee injury, Ilyas Ansah is out with a back issue and Darko Gyabi and Jack Butland have groin and arm injuries respectively.

The Tigers have had five different goalscorers this season, with Mohamed Belloumi the only player to score more than once; Nobel Mendy, Liam Millar, Mohamed Ali Cho and Semi Ajayi have also found the net for Jakirovic’s side.

Everton are in the same boat as their hosts, with Thierno Barry the only Toffees player to have scored more than once after five matchdays.

James Tarkowski, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George and summer arrival Ainsley Maitland-Niles have also found the net, with Tarkowski additionally registering an assist for the Merseyside club.

While Moyes’s men have no confirmed absentees for this weekend, Merlin Rohl, Christian Norgaard and Vitaliy Mykolenko will be assessed before the trip to MKM Stadium.

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Tzolakis; Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Mendy, Giles; Belloumi, Crooks, Slater, Thomas; McBurnie

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

We say: Hull City 1-1 Everton

Hull’s results may have dipped since their impressive start, but strong performances against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle suggest that the promoted side remain difficult opponents.

Everton’s unbeaten record deserves respect, although we expect the Tigers to earn a share of the spoils in a competitive affair.

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